Slack-adjuster.



PATENTED JULY 1o, 1907.

W. H. SAUVAGE.

SLK ADJSTER. APPLIOAMON F.1LnD-Nov-2L1oos.

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UNflTlill) STAES .PAflEN'll QFFUE.

\\, ll}i.l,.\.\l il. .Q -UFVAillL Ol NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO .ATLAS OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COitPOltA'llON OF NLW YORK.

SLACK-ADJUSTER.

Patented July 1.6, 190?.

Appleton and rimento-21.19158. solai amenazas.

'l'o all llfhom 1'! mrn/ romrrn.'

lle it known that l, \\`n.|.1.\\i li. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United Sintes oi' .finie-rient, and a. resident of the borough ol' Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have iuvenled certain new and useful linprovements in Slnck.'\djustcrs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention-relates to automatic slack adjusting mechanism for railway brakes, and consists of a simple and economical torni ol' slack adjuster for use on railway ears where kick springs` are employed to insure the complete return oi the brake mechanism to its initial position after each applicntion of the braking force.

The best l'orin oi' apparatus embodying my invention l5 at present known to ine is shown in the accompanying drgwng wherein appear the representation ol' an ordinary air brake cylinder, piston and push rod with my invention applied thereto, certain paris heilig shown partly in section and thcnemainder in side elevation.

1 representsl the ordinary brake cylinder in which is the piston 2 having the hollow piston rod 3 and the spring 4, which serves to return the piston to its initial ,position when brakes are released. [n tl1e"iollow pis ton 3is the ordinary push rod 5 which is pivoted at its outer end to one of the brake levers 6 in the usual way. v To applyniy invention I screw or otherwise. attach to the outer end of the hollow piston 3 the costing 7 which forms a clutch frame. This clutch i'rinne' is practically mounted upon push rod 5 ns itis perforated for the passage of said push rod there through. Nithin the clutch frame is the perforated clutch dog 8 also mounted upon the push rod and hin ing one end bearing against the beveled portion 9 of frame 7 es a luicruin.` A` small spiral spring 10 is coniincd between 35 the clutch dog 8 and the outer end ot' the frame 7 and serves to hold the clutch dog up against its iulcruni normally in gripping position. A second clutch traine 1i is also mounted loosely on the push rod and has l a beveled portion 12 serving as a fulcrnm. [or the clutch dog 13 which is held in operative position by the spring 14.

4The upper ends of the clutch iranie- 1l are prclerably perforated as at l5', l5, and through these perforniions passes the fixed rod .i6 which may. be convenienti y sup- 45 .ported by heilig bolted to the cylinder head by one of the cylinder head bolts 17. On this rod l are the adjnstnblestops 18 and 19 which serve to limit the :nove

ment of the clutch traine 1l along said rod 16.

The operation oi' my invention is as follows: 'lhe parts being in the position shown in the drawing, the .brake rigging is so adjusted as to permit the use ol new brake shoes with a stroke of the piston and push rod just sufficient to bring the clutch freine 11 in contact with the stop li) and give the piston the predetermined maximum amount of piston travel, say (l inches. With this condition of thc broke rigginr und shoes the clutch frame 11 will vibrato back und iorih between the two stops barely touching the stop li) upon '.1 full application oi the brakes and barely toni-hiru( the stop 18 o n the release oi' the brakes and without changing its posi- 60 tion upon the push rod 5. When through wear of the brake shoes or for other reasons the ullowzl/blc piston travel is exceeded say by an inch, the ironic 1l will strike stop i9 ai'ter the piston has traveled six inches and be held stationary thereby, while the push rod 5 /nioves through clutch dogrfl: forgnjldistauce oi' un extra inch oi excessive tra veli 'ill'lgiiic release ol' the broke frame .il will strike stopf` wliendhc,piston 2 has returned to within an incli iii' iis ininmt. position and further motion oi the fraiinh'lil lie checked at that point. 70 'lhe clutch dog 13 will prevuiit'itu'ther movement'- oi' the push rod to the lei't and the piston continuing its Inoveinent under the pressure oi' the spring.,r i will canse the clutch dog S to travel along the push rod for a distance oi an inch. This takes np the slack by an amount equal to the excess movement oi the piston on the previous brake application and will hold the piston down to the predetermined maximum of travel until further wearing oi the shoes causes the apparatus to take up slack again.

The advantages of my invention 'comprise its extreme simplicity' und cheapness; the fact that all strains nrc tninsmitted in straight lilies coincident with `the axes oi' the various parts; the coinpnctness ol' the comtruction its` cnscoi' application to existing structures without changing the sinne further than the possible lengthening ol' the push rod; and the accuracy ol' the take up action.

It is evident o1' coin-sc that other forms oi' friction clutches and clutch frames might be used in place of those :shown in drawing, and that other iornis oi adjustable stops could be employed.

Having, therefore, described my invention, I claim:

l. in u slack mijns-ting mechanism for railway brakes the combination ot' the cylinder, hollow piston und push rod. u friction clutch connecting.: the push red with the hollow piston, permitting Athe drawing out of th'e push rod, but normally prcventlni,y its return, a second friction clutch mounted on the push rod und adapted to slide lnwzu-dly thereon, and u nxcd stop )uniting the motion of said second clutch in euch direction within predetermined bounds.

In nv sluck adjusting mechanism for rnllwuy brakes the combination of ille cylinder, hollow piston and push rod, u friction clutch connecting the push rod with the hollow piston, perinltiiimV the drawing.: out 0,( the push rod, but normally preventing its return, s. second friction clutch mounted on the push rod und adapted to slide inivnrdly thereon, und u fixed stop limiting the motion of said second .clutch in each 'direction within prederermined bounds, .said friction clutches each comprising a yperforated clutch dog mounted on the puslx rod, a clutch frame surrounding the same and provided with a. suitable fulcrum forthe clutch dog and a spring holding the dog in operative position.

3. In a slack adjusting mechnnism for railway brakes the combination of the cylinder, hollow piston and push rod, a gripping device mounted on the hollow piston and permitting the push rod to be drawn outwardly but normally preventing it from being forced `inwardly, a sec ond gripping device mounted loosely on the push rod und adapted to slide inwardly thereon, but not outwardly, and a stop for said gripping device comprising a rod bolted to the cylinder, passing through perfor-ations in the gripping 15 device and provided with projections engaging the outer A. PARKER-Shinn, M. G. Cumvivoxo. 

